This invention is directed to a process for uniformly dyeing polyester, which has been previously treated with an aliphatic amine to reduce its tendency to pill.
Treatment of polyester fiber with an aliphatic amine to reduce pilling in textile articles is disclosed in Farmer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,051. In a typical application, an undyed textile fabric made from spun polyester yarn is treated with the aliphatic amine to lower the tensile strength of the polyester fibers. Thus, when fibers migrate to the surface of the fabric and become entangled, the fibers are more likely to break away, rather than remain on the surface of the fabric as unsightly pills.
Despite a strong demand on the market for a low pill polyester fabric, the treatment disclosed by Farmer in U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,051 has not found wide use. One of the shortcomings of the prior art treatment is that it has been found to interfere with subsequent dyeing of the fabric. In particular, attempts to exhaust dye the fabric with disperse dyes resulted in spotting and other defects associated with unlevel dyeing.
Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a process for manufacturing a uniformly dyed, low pill polyester fabric. Another object of the invention is to provide a process wherein the fabric is exhaust dyed with disperse dyes after having been treated with an aliphatic amine. Still another object of the invention is to provide a fabric made according to the aforementioned processes.
Accordingly, a textile article containing polyester fibers can be exhaust dyed with a disperse dye, after the article has been previously treated with an aliphatic amine to reduce the tensile strength of the polyester fibers, by providing in the dye bath at least 1.0 weight percent, based on the weight of the textile article, of a harmonizing compound having the formula: R--X, where R is C.sub.8 -C.sub.16 alkyl, alkenyl, alkylphenylene or phenylalkylene and X is a poly(oxyethylene) chain having from 5 to 15 ethylene oxide residues.
The present invention has the advantage of being adaptable to conventional disperse dyeing processes. Further, the process of the present invention may be used with textiles made of 100 percent polyester, as well as blends of polyester fibers and other synthetic and natural fibers.